Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-22
Socal 2JNaffers.
raIcHINos1s.
The Peculiar Affection OF two Boys In
Windsor.


In accordance with our request, DR.
Perkins Of So. China, kindly wrote US the
folio sing letter:
So. CHINA, Dec Is
To the Editor Of the Kenattee Journal
DEAR SIR Your letter of inquiry is al
hand will describe the cases of trichina
poisoning at Davis Corner, Windsor The
bows we're taken sick about one week after
eating raw lean pork. Case symptoms
He was taken sweating and vomiting. with
diarrh9a and collie pains, the diarrbra ana
vomiting lasted about four days.
The temperature rose to io5.
lie then began to complain Of soreness al.
over the bowels, began To have pain in I'll,
muscles Of the arms and legs also in tb,
muscles of the chest, face, toBgu.
md eyeIids, the upper lids being
swollen and very painful. The pain.
resembled those of muscular rhenma
tism He also complained of numbness o.
the muscles affected. He could not bear tn
least heat which aggravated his troubie
and male him very nervous. There
was no stupor, delirium or headache
a. any time during the sickness. The bowel,
lid not bloat until the sixth week OF sickness.
the bloaf remaining about three days IN
muscles of the arms aud legs became con
rraeted 80 that extension caused great suffer
ing. About the third week edeIna of the face
and lower extremities occurred and gradually
extended over the body. He had a hacking
congh and visci dor ange c0lored expectorations
we're prominent symptoms. lie also about
the fourth week lost the use Of his legs EN-
tirely lie is now in the seventh week OF
sickness | saw two cases of trichna poison
ing in Bellevue Hospital, New York city IN
the spring Of IS. The symptoms of the
above case are almost exactly the same a.
those seen in the hospital Case 2. The
symptoms were about the same only in a
miIder form. He has recovered 50 as to be
about the house. Very respc'y,
r. G. PERKINS, VI. ID.
The following is the description Of tri-
chinae given by Mr.. John Phnn, formerly
editor of the American Journal of Micros-
copy when the worms are encysted IN
the flesh they are incapable of doing further
harm; their career Of mischief so far rs they
themselves are concerned il ended. But
when the flesh in which they are inbedded Is
eaten and digested, the capsules which sur
round them are dissolved and the worms are
set free 10 move ABOUT III tue stoHidth anu
| iutcstnes like so many dlnimntive eels- They
| now increase in size and another far more
| important change takes place. The males and
| females become mature sexnally and unit
| TO pcrpetuate the species. In few days the
| females give birth to living young and shortly
after that they die and are expelled with the
| refuse food These embryos canse the dis
ease known as trchinosis As soon AS they
are born they proceed at once to bore
| through the walls Of the intestines aud
enter the muscles. They mine theii
way through the tissues, growing
larger and larger until they have reached
ther full size and it is time for them to cur
up and go to rest. Once safely inclosec
within its capsule, the trchlna is powerless
for mischief, and the unconscious host
may harbor it for many years without being
aware of the fact"